The Fortunes of Men

Old English · Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records · 98 sections

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Ful oft þæt gegongeð, mid godes meahtum,
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þætte wer ond wif in woruld cennað
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bearn mid gebyrdum ond mid bleom gyrwað,
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tennaþ ond tætaþ, oþþæt seo tid cymeð,
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gegæð gearrimum, þæt þa geongan leomu,
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liffæstan leoþu, geloden weorþað.
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Fergað swa ond feþað fæder ond modor,
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giefað ond gierwaþ. God ana wat
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hwæt him weaxendum winter bringað!
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Sumum þæt gegongeð on geoguðfeore
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þæt se endestæf earfeðmæcgum
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wealic weorþeð. Sceal hine wulf etan,
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har hæðstapa; hinsiþ þonne
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modor bimurneð. Ne bið swylc monnes geweald!
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Sumne sceal hungor ahiþan, sumne sceal hreoh fordrifan,
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sumne sceal gar agetan, sumne guð abreotan.
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Sum sceal leomena leas lifes neotan,
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folmum ætfeohtan, sum on feðe lef,
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seonobennum seoc, sar cwanian,
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murnan meotudgesceaft mode gebysgad.
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Sum sceal on holte of hean beame
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fiþerleas feallan; bið on flihte seþeah,
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laceð on lyfte, oþþæt lengre ne bið
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westem wudubeames. þonne he on wyrtruman
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sigeð sworcenferð, sawle bireafod,
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fealleþ on foldan, feorð biþ on siþe.
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Sum sceal on feþe on feorwegas
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nyde gongan ond his nest beran,
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tredan uriglast elþeodigra,
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frecne foldan; ah he feormendra
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lyt lifgendra, lað biþ æghwær
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fore his wonsceaftum wineleas hæle.
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Sum sceal on geapum galgan ridan,
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seomian æt swylte, oþþæt sawlhord,
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bancofa blodig, abrocen weorþeð.
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þær him hrefn nimeþ heafodsyne,
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sliteð salwigpad sawelleasne;
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noþer he þy facne mæg folmum biwergan,
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laþum lyftsceaþan, biþ his lif scæcen,
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ond he feleleas, feores orwena,
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blac on beame bideð wyrde,
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bewegen wælmiste. Bið him werig noma!
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Sumne on bæle sceal brond aswencan,
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fretan frecne lig fægne monnan;
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þær him lifgedal lungre weorðeð,
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read reþe gled; reoteð meowle,
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seo hyre bearn gesihð brondas þeccan.
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Sumum meces ecg on meodubence
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yrrum ealowosan ealdor oþþringeð,
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were winsadum; bið ær his worda to hræd.
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Sum sceal on beore þurh byreles hond
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meodugal mæcga; þonne he gemet ne con
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gemearcian his muþe mode sine,
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ac sceal ful earmlice ealdre linnan,
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dreogan dryhtenbealo dreamum biscyred,
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ond hine to sylfcwale secgas nemnað,
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mænað mid muþe meodugales gedrinc.
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Sum sceal on geoguþe mid godes meahtum
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his earfoðsiþ ealne forspildan,
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ond on yldo eft eadig weorþan,
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wunian wyndagum ond welan þicgan,
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maþmas ond meoduful mægburge on,
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þæs þe ænig fira mæge forð gehealdan.
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Swa missenlice meahtig dryhten
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geond eorþan sceat eallum dæleð,
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scyreþ ond scrifeð ond gesceapo healdeð,
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sumum eadwelan, sumum earfeþa dæl,
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sumum geogoþe glæd, sumum guþe blæd,
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gewealdenne wigplegan, sumum wyrp oþþe scyte,
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torhtlicne tiir, sumum tæfle cræft,
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bleobordes gebregd. Sume boceras
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weorþað wisfæste. Sumum wundorgiefe
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þurh goldsmiþe gearwad weorþað;
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ful oft he gehyrdeð ond gehyrsteð wel,
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brytencyninges beorn, ond he him brad syleð
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lond to leane. He hit on lust þigeð.
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Sum sceal on heape hæleþum cweman,
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blissian æt beore bencsittendum;
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þær biþ drincendra dream se micla.
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Sum sceal mid hearpan æt his hlafordes
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fotum sittan, feoh þicgan,
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ond a snellice snere wræstan,
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lætan scralletan sceacol, se þe hleapeð,
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nægl neomegende; biþ him neod micel.
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Sum sceal wildne fugel wloncne atemian,
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heafoc on honda, oþþæt seo heoroswealwe
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wynsum weorþeð; deþ he wyrplas on,
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fedeþ swa on feterum fiþrum dealne,
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lepeþ lyftswiftne lytlum gieflum,
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oþþæt se wælisca wædum ond dædum
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his ætgiefan eaðmod weorþeð
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ond to hagostealdes honda gelæred.
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Swa wrætlice weoroda nergend
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geond middangeard monna cræftas
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sceop ond scyrede ond gesceapo ferede
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æghwylcum on eorþan eormencynnes.
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Forþon him nu ealles þonc æghwa secge,
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þæs þe he fore his miltsum monnum scrifeð.

The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, transcribed by sacred-texts.com (sacred-texts.com/neu/ascp/), via CLTK's old_english_text_sacred_texts mirror; released into the public domain. Licence: Public domain (Unlicense). Source.